Deal or No Deal Island is a fascinating blend of the original Deal or No Deal with a healthy dose of Survivor. Players compete on the Banker’s private island. Host Joe Manganiello is there to act as the intermediary between the contestants and the Banker. Up for grabs is a chance for the last player standing to compete against the Banker for a mind-boggling potential top prize of $200 million. Unfortunately, Brantzen Wong was the first player eliminated from the game.
During the premiere episode, players were tasked with pulling suitcases out of a mud pit. And it looked extremely unpleasant. The Banker added two red cases, one of which contained nothing and one which contained “a steal.” When no one opted to take a red case, the Banker offered $10,000 to anyone who went back in the mud to take one. Kim Mattina decided to go back but had struggled in the mud. As the oldest contestant, she had a great deal of difficulty. Then Brantzen went back in and pulled a red case over for Kim so she could get the $10,000.
Brantzen joined Reality Tea writer Kim Stempel to discuss the show, his decisions, and how “Boston” Rob Mariano influenced the game.
Brantzen discussed how his occupation as a poker player was an asset
Kim Stempel: How long have you been a professional poker player?
Brantzen Wong: It’s been … it’s one of those things that’s like, poker has always been a part of my life, like since I was a kid. When I was 21, I was in a casino, but I was on the straight and like narrow path to be a physical therapist for a long time. And my wife pushed me to be a poker player. She’s like, You love it. You’re good at it. I would say like I always played it as a side income, but then around 2017, I played it more as my primary income.
Kim Stempel: So, what skills from playing poker were an asset in the game?
Brantzen Wong: I think some of the bigger skills involved strategizing and being able to read people and just kind of seeing some of their true intentions, I would say. But … so many people think like, Oh, just because you’re a poker player, you’re so good at whatever lying, or this or that, but so much of poker is just studying, strategy, theory. So, I think the biggest things that do translate are if you’re good at you know reading somebody and just knowing when they’re being truthful to you and when they’re trying to play you.
So, like that was like a big thing with me and like Boston Rob. I felt like I had a lot of interactions with different people on the island, and felt like really positively about a lot of people. And this is nothing about Boston Rob as a person, but as a player, I’m just like, any interaction you have to take with a grain of salt because he is playing just for himself, you know?
Kim Stempel: And he’s tricky.
Brantzen Wong: Yeah, yeah, yeah! I knew that like he was gunning me from the get-go.
Why Boston Rob should have gone home first
Kim Stempel: When you recognized Boston Rob right away, what did you think?
Brantzen Wong: My opinion … regardless of what I did, ‘cause I know it wasn’t the smartest tactical decision, and I always knew that. But I always felt like Rob needed to go first. I was like, it should be a no-brainer to any of these people because you have someone like Rob, who has been on these things so much more, and like you just don’t want someone like that in the game, especially when that kind of person is just like willing to do anything, willing to say anything, willing to create any relationship that may be real to someone else, but completely just transactional for him. It’s like a scary thing, especially for, I guess you say “normies.” Or whatever, like a normal person.
I’m emotional, and it’s like, if I won, I would want it to be because I tried my best, you know. I tried to be kind to others, and maybe develop relationships that way. Not because, I’m like, I’m using this friendship, and I’m faking this friendship just to benefit me, you know? Whereas like, someone who is willing, and like that’s their main strategy, is a very like scary person to have in the game. So, immediately, I’m like, he needs to go.
Plus it’s like, okay, if you’re going to gun out somebody, it’s like, why not gun out the person who’s like already extremely successful in this space, like doesn’t really need it? Like all of us are like, Okay we definitely need it. Boston Rob, like he’s got his own TV show. It’s like, Dude, what are you doing? What are you doing keeping this guy in?
Why Boston Rob being in the game was a positive
Kim Stempel: I can’t imagine being excited to be in the game and then rolling up and seeing somebody who is experienced in that type of game already [being] there.
Brantzen Wong: But I mean, to be honest, and like maybe this is naïveté, but I felt, I liked that he was there because I felt like, in the same way, that Boston Rob was talking about, Oh how I was an easy target and he liked that I was there because I’m a shield in some way. It’s like clearly you gotta eliminate Boston Rob first, like for me it’s a no-brainer. It’s not even close. If he doesn’t have immunity, then you gotta eliminate him.
Why some contestants misunderstood Brantzen’s good deed
Kim Stempel: Do you think that your fellow players misunderstand the reason that you went back in the mud to help Kim Mattina?
Brantzen Wong: It was about 50/50. Half understood, half didn’t. There’s a lot that you don’t get to see, but after, there were like multiple people who like came up to me individually, who were like, Wow. That was really kind. I’m really proud of you. So, that was sweet. But then I would see Boston Rob, like whispering, whispering. And even those people like got turned. And they’re like, Oh wait. Maybe he did it to screw me.
I mean, it’s part of the game, you know. It was definitely a risk, that I was like, I’m just going to do it. It was tough … it was tough seeing Kim in the mud. And then after, I knew like she was such a big reality fan, and I knew she was in debt. And I just saw the medical team on her for like 30 minutes.
This is like a huge stage on national television and it’s like her whole life is reality TV, and like I didn’t want her to feel like such a failure and just walk with nothing. If I can just get her $10,000 at least to help her pay off some of her debt, like at least she can walk away with knowing she has that cushion, you know? So, that was kind of my mindset. And also I felt like I had a higher chance of getting the zero, but then I got the “steal.”
This interview was edited for clarity.
Deal or No Deal Island continues on Monday, March 4 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
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